


If We Survive to Love Each Other

by best_of_pjo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Love, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Oneshot, Sad, tragic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-19 11:08:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29749608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/best_of_pjo/pseuds/best_of_pjo
Summary: Chat Noir and Ladybug make a stupid promise when they’re kids. He intends to keep it.
Relationships: Ladrien - Relationship, Marinette - Relationship, ladynoir, marichat - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

_ “If I’m not married by thirty, you’re going to be my wife.”  _

_ Ladybug smiled, her eyes glistening in the reflection of the moonlight. It shone directly on the teens as they patrolled the city of Paris. Tonight, the night sky was especially grand. “The bet is supposed to be that if we’re both single by a certain age--”  _

_ “I know,” Chat Noir interrupted. “But I will always love you. And when I’m not married at the age of thirty, you will be my wife.”  _

_ She narrowed her eyes. “What if I have a husband?”  _

_ “You will. He’ll be me.”  _

_ At that, she let out a delightful bit of laughter. He thought she resembled a goddess in the dim light of the moon, with her hair set perfectly in place and her stomach doubling over in delight. “Silly kitty.”  _

_ ;;; _

Chat Noir’s hands shook as he grasped her favorite flowers; red roses. She had always been classic and elegant. Timeless, she had once said to describe the flowers. ‘They’ll never go out of style Chat Noir,’ were her exact words, and they had lived in his head in infamy for the rest of time. From then on, he associated the roses with his one love. 

He took a reluctant step towards the grave and set her beloved flowers down. Next, he placed an engagement ring on the ground in front of the grave. A single tear rolled down his cheek. 

“I’m thirty, M’Lady.” 

Single. 

His promise had reigned true; he would always love her. It turned out that his promise made fifteen years prior had been less of a promise than it had been a curse, but when he grazed his fingers upon her picture, he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

If the price to pay for loving Marinette was grief, he would happily pay it a million times over.

One last confession rang through the cemetery as he left the sight, his promise completed.

“I love you.” 


	2. Happy Alternative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir makes a stupid promise as a kid. He intends to keep it.   
> (Happy alternative!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is literally just a happy alternative to the last part because I'm a sucker for fluff and I'm sad tonight.   
> tbh I don't really like this chapter but maybe I'll warm up to it! enjoy:)

_ “If I’m not married by thirty, you’re going to be my wife.”  _

_ Ladybug smiled, her eyes glistening in the reflection of the moonlight. It shone directly on the teens as they patrolled the city of Paris. Tonight, the night sky was especially grand. “The bet is supposed to be that if we’re both single by a certain age--”  _

_ “I know,” Chat Noir interrupted. “But I will always love you. And when I’m not married at the age of thirty, you will be my wife.”  _

_ She narrowed her eyes. “What if I have a husband?”  _

_ “You will. He’ll be me.”  _

_ At that, she let out a delightful bit of laughter. He thought she resembled a goddess in the dim light of the moon, with her hair set perfectly in place and her stomach doubling over in delight. “Silly kitty.”  _

;;;

Adrien wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans as he approached the door of Marinette’s parents’ bakery. 

Three years prior, when he was on the brink of turning twenty-seven, he and Ladybug had defeated Hawkmoth. As the villain transformed, Adrien let out the most horrifying scream Paris had ever known. 

He and Marinette shared their identities and admitted their love for one another, and though he knew she was his soulmate, he couldn’t bring himself to stay in the cursed city. She was devastated but understood his reasoning. He soon fled to London, where he’d stayed for the last three years. 

Until now. 

His hands grazed the wood of the bakery door slowly as he opened it. It was all so familiar and all so painful. His stomach twisted in a knot. 

“Adrien.” 

Her acknowledgment only accelerated his heart beat into a frenzy. When he looked at her, his eyes focused on the tray of cookies she was holding. Memories of them patrolling on rooftops flashed through his mind. He thought about the week after Hawkmoth’s defeat, when they had held each other as they both sobbed. He remembered the way he felt sheltered in her grasp. 

He wanted to confess his feelings for her again. He wanted to run up to her and squeeze her tightly and never let go. He wanted to kiss her until they both forgot about the past three years and transported back to their teenage years. 

But Adrien wasn’t some love interest in a movie. He was human. So, he did something stupid. 

“My birthday’s in a week,” he said. “I’m turning thirty.” 

Marinette didn’t budge. “I know,” she said, pushing out each word as if it took great strength. “You’re here to tell me you have to break the promise.” 

“I would never break a promise I made to you, M’Lady.” 

A few infinite seconds passed before the tray clattered on the floor, the cookies splattering all over the bakery. Marinette ran to him, and Adrien’s arms opened as a reflex. They embraced, and he was ashamed to admit that his body still trembled whenever she held him. She still made him feel like a shy teenage boy. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, tangling his fingers into her hair. “I’m so sorry.” 

“For what?” she asked, her voice muffled in his hair. 

“For leaving.” 

“It’s what you had to do.” 

“I left you all alone.” A single tear slipped out of his eye and rolled down his cheek. He hugged her tighter. “Please tell me you’re single.” 

Marinette laughed, and the sound blossomed in Adrien’s heart like a flower exposed to sunlight. “Oh, kitty. Once you meet your soulmate, there’s really no way to upgrade.” 

He pulled back from the hug and stared at her. She was more beautiful than he had remembered. 

“I have the ring.” 

She glanced at his pants pocket, her eyes widening when they caught onto the box-shaped bulk. “Oh my God, you were serious.” 

“I wanted to come back sooner,” he started. “I wanted us to get to know each other again before…” 

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, and he was reminded of when he’d taken her Miraculous and she’d grown frustrated as she taught him how to use it. “I think we know each other quite well.” 

;;;

A week later, Adrien proposed to Marinette. 

At first, he thought it was a crazy concept to get engaged to someone he hadn’t seen in three years, but to his delight, she hadn’t changed at all. They still molded together like puzzle pieces, and they talked about their new lives and discussed whether to stay in Paris or go to London. 

She was his soulmate, and he knew there would never truly be a perfect time to ask her. He just wanted to start his life with her. He wanted to see her glow as a bride on their wedding day. 

Hours after the proposal, Marinette sat down next to Adrien on the couch of his hotel room. “You actually did it,” she said, admiring her ring. She leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. “Silly kitty.” 

**Author's Note:**

> okay this was super sad so i might remake this with an alternative happy ending because I'm a sucker for fluff. anyways- 
> 
> Instagram: @multimiraculous


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